Area property owners want to sell to county

Eminent domain process underway for Pilgrim shopping center

CUMMING, Ga. — New options have opened up for Forsyth County leaders, who had moved to condemn a strip mall on Pilgrim Mill Road in the city of Cumming to make way for a parking facility.

“Additional parcels have been made available, or at least offered to the county,” said County Attorney Ken Jarrard. “The willing sellers would serve the same purpose of that property for accommodating a parking facility.”

The site in question is about an acre retail development, 108 Pilgrim Mill Road in Cumming adjacent to the county’s administration building on East Main Street.

Because a buying agreement was not reached with the property owner, ACH Development, the county moved to use government power of eminent domain to condemn the property at its June 6 regular meeting.

A parking deck is expected to be built with about 480 parking spaces to accommodate a new jail and courthouse in downtown Cumming. Proceedings for condemnation could take up to late fall to complete.

A second parking deck will be built on city-owned property along Castleberry Road near West Maple Street.